


heart(less) runway

by mvpchani



Category: Wanna One (Band)
Genre: Enemies to Lovers, M/M, Model AU, model friends onghwang, rookie!daniel, topmodel!seongwoo
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-02
Updated: 2017-10-02
Packaged: 2019-01-08 05:37:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,439
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12248067
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mvpchani/pseuds/mvpchani
Summary: In which Seongwu is harboring feelings of rivalry against Kang Daniel, whose whole existence didn't fit that of a model and yet he managed to be a thorn in Seongwu's side, nothing more, nothing less.





	heart(less) runway

**Author's Note:**

> and here's the first story for s.o.s' etl week
> 
> it's honestly so rushed and could be so much better and i'm all up for constructive criticism and feedback

“For today, you have your photo shoot for Innisfree. There will be a fanmeeting, but you’ll be informed further about it once we have it scheduled,” Seongwu’s manager began to ramble on about the model’s schedule, ignoring the obvious fact that the exhausted man in the mask would had rather dozed off while his makeup was being applied. “From Thursday to Friday, you’ll have your photo shoot for Vogue, on Friday night there’s a party attended by representatives of famous and upcoming brands” 

_ Ah, another one of those events.  _ Seongwu’s duty as a top model of the company was to represent them as well, but more importantly to expand his huge circle of connections. Those gatherings provided the perfect opportunities to climb the social ladder in their business and some models took every drastic measure to claw themselves up to the top.

Being gifted with quick wits and the knowledge of sweet-talking, Seongwu didn’t need to step down on a low level, but rather used his words coated in a honey voice to land himself a deal or two. Sometimes, or rather often, alcohol was involved as well, but could he be really blamed? The exploitation was based on mutual feelings; in his own ways, Seongwu would talk himself into modeling for a big brand, while they took advantage of Seongwu’s reputation.

In all those years Seongwu had been in the modeling business, he was able to establish himself through hard work and dedication. A slow process it was but Seongwu was a man with self-discipline and a burning passion for his art; he had been the centre of the blinding flashlights for as long as he could remember and wanted to pursue a career as a model after going through his mother’s magazines one day. 

“There’s a new addition to your schedule,” the manager’s voice ripped Seongwu out of his thoughts, who blinked a few times before staring at the older man through the huge mirror in front of him.

“Next Monday, you’ll have a joint photo shoot for Adidas’ new sportswear collection” 

The mention of working with another person had sparked an interest inside Seongwu. It had been a while, his last one was with some female model whose name he had truthfully forgotten, but it had been an interesting shoot to say the least. A perfume television advertisement, in which they promoted the daring side one would associate with the particular scent. Needless to say, the two of them had to get close; the female model had to pull him in and place her lips on his neck, before leaning in close to Seongwu’s lips and halting right before their lips were just mere inches apart. Their scene together cut off right there, giving the viewers the chance to let their fantasies run wild. 

Seongwu thought of the shoot as a good opportunity to show off his mysterious side. The female model thought of it as more; it left Seongwu unbothered.

“Who is the model with whom I will work with?”, Seongwu eventually asked as his manager typed away on the company’s phone, presumably to set up the schedule clearly. 

“Kang Daniel, the hottest rookie nowadays. The company believes a project together would help creating buzz around you”

Just at the mention of the rookie’s name, Seongwu’s lips turned to a thin line, eyes narrowing at his manager.  _ Did he really just hear right?  _

One disapproving look from his manager was enough to remind Seongwu to stay professional. Expression turning neutral again, Seongwu heaved a sigh under his breath before giving a small nod; he had understood the importance of the photo shoot together with Kang Daniel. No matter how much Seongwu would had rather chosen not to work with him, he could hold back his disdain and rather focus on the advantage he would receive. 

No model could allow themselves to be choosy. 

It didn’t hold Seongwu back from having his personal agendas, even if they stayed as harboured feelings. 

\---

Eventually, the dreaded day came around and Seongwu’s manager already gave him a lecture about etiquette, having noticed last time how much the model despised to work together with Daniel. Seongwu didn’t understand the need to get scolded, but listened to his manager anyway and reassured him that he wouldn’t act rudely at the shoot.

Seongwu knew how to behave himself, he was a professional! For a few hours, he could manage to play nice and dandy, and show his dislike towards Daniel in other ways.

As he arrived at the shoot, Seongwu bowed to each and every staff member, greeting them all politely before he got ushered into the mask. Apparently, Daniel had already begun the photoshoot for single takes and Seongwu would be the next one in line. 

That meant the two of them only had to work together at the end, which would cut down Seongwu’s suffering considerably. 

In fact, Seongwu didn’t meet Daniel until Seongwu was done with his own single shoots. Well, they did see each other before already, but Seongwu paid no attention to the model, who seemed a bit  _ too  _ bright for someone who had been up for hours already.

“Hi, I’m Kang Daniel,” the rookie model had introduced himself to Seongwu once they had a little break, his smile reaching up to his cheeks and turning his eyes into crescent moons. “I’m  _ delighted  _ to meet you”

For a moment, Seongwu was merely staring at Daniel’s outstretched hand, considering if he should ignore it or not. The handshake afterwards was short and awkward, but it didn’t seem to put Daniel off at all.

“As you already know, I’m Ong Seongwu,” his tone was flat and slightly dismissive, though Seongwu masked his true intentions with a polite small. “For your information, you should address me with more respect. That’s what rookies are supposed to do, no?”

The shocked expression which was painted all over Daniel’s face was almost funny to Seongwu, who couldn’t help smirking smugly at the sight. Daniel’s eyes were almost falling out, his mouth being agape, it was way too comical. 

Leaving Daniel in his shock, Seongwu was the first to get to the set, excusing his partner for his tardiness. As always, Seongwu was charming the staff around him, who didn’t seem to mind Daniel’s sudden sour mood. 

Over the duration of the shoot, Seongwu had to excuse Daniel’s unprofessionalism more than just once. Mistakes were made more than just once, the atmosphere between the models was tense, and the photographer wasn’t happy about the unfolding events at all.

Sure, maybe Seongwu was making it harder for everyone involved than needed. However, he was witty enough to shift the blame over to Daniel, talking about how it must had been the nerves going through him, considering he had a photoshoot with an established topmodel. It brightened up the mood among the staff, but Daniel got even more defensive afterwards.

A photoshoot which should had ended in just a few hours dragged itself out into the early morning hours, leaving everyone grumpy and cranky. Even Seongwu’s patience was running lower than usual, which could had been because of Daniel’s presence as well. 

Once the photographer wrapped up the shoot, the models thanked everyone sincerely for their hard work and apologized for being an inconvenience. It loosened up the tense atmosphere just a bit, but definitely not between the models.

Just as Seongwu was making his turn to leave, Daniel held him back with a disgusted expression displayed on his face, which made Seongwu narrow his eyes at the other. 

“You know, I get it. You don’t like me for whatever reason, but don’t make a professional photoshoot harder than needed just because you can’t stand me or any other model.”

There was a bite in Daniel’s voice and Seongwu was feeling exposed and ridiculed of; instead of apologizing, he shook Daniel’s hand off his shoulder harshly and gave him another polite, but forced smile.

“It’s just your imagination, Daniel. Don’t blame your inexperience on me.”

With those words, Seongwu turned on his heels and made his way outside, only to stop in his tracks once he heard Daniel’s accusing voice shouting after him.

“I’d have loved to be your friend, but I guess it’s better to stay as competing models.”

Yes, it was indeed the best. 

Seongwu had never imagined anything else between them but rivalry, and he was thankful that Daniel was smart enough to pick up on it.

The industry wasn’t a place to make friends anyway, they all were in a cruel competition with each other, and Daniel was a thorn in Seongwu’s side.  

One, who gave Seongwu a few benefits, but all in one wasn’t needed in Seongwu’s life other than being a mere opposing model.                                           

\---

No matter how much Seongwu despised Daniel, he had to admit to himself that he was grateful to have reached another peak of popularity due to their shared photo shoot. 

Once a few pictures rolled out, the two models were in heated talks by their devoted followers and supporters, who were spreading said teasers around on social medias like a wildfire.    
The outcome were articles written about the models in important gossip and fashion magazines as well as a slight boost in sales for Adidas, considering that the new collection was a hit among teenagers and young adults, who were the main target. 

Adidas was requesting Ong Seongwu to represent their next collection and was in talks with the model’s company to sign him for further projects; being in consideration of being a big brand’s face was a honor to Seongwu. Furthermore, it helped to gain longevity in the industry, which was an important aspect in Seongwu’s career. 

The more calls came in from various brands, who were interested in having Ong Seongwu as their representative, the busier did the man in question get; schedule full-packed and leaving no room to breathe, but it was worth it in the long run. 

In his sudden hectic life, Seongwu almost forgot about the one boosting his popularity; keyword: almost. 

Just as Seongwu was a busy model, so was Daniel, who considerably was even more out there than his counterpart. Wherever Seongwu was turning to, he was surrounded by the rookie’s pictures: on billboards, magazines, opening windows of huge shops and the likes. Seongwu wasn’t even able to grab some food as Daniel was even representing food companies. It was as if Daniel was a parasite in Seongwu’s life, difficult to get rid off and being a constant bother, and instead of feeding on Seongwu, Daniel was feeding the other model more reasons to maintain the rivaling feelings. 

Maybe Seongwu was making a mountain out of a molehill, but Daniel’s demanded public appearances were an incentive for him to snatch away as many job offers from the rookie model as possible. It was as if they stood in a silent competition, who could be the most marketable model? Seongwu’s goal was to be in higher talks than Daniel, though this one happened to be harder than expected. 

Kang Daniel reached double the fame Seongwu’s ever had in half the time, which wasn’t sitting well with the latter. He even went further than that; being the first male model of Instyle in more than fourteen years, Daniel had achieved more than Seongwu dared to imagine.

“You’ll regret this unnecessary rivalry one day,” Minhyun had told Seongwu during their lunch once after the younger man had brought up the Instyle issue, “This petty version of you is one I can’t even recognize.”

Seongwu expected that Minhyun would understand him. They had been in the business long enough to know how flared up the competition can get; as for now, Daniel was the biggest threat, and Seongwu was only reacting as anyone would.

Maybe he had let the venomous feelings engulf him a bit too soon, but his instincts and judgement on the rookie were spot on. On top of that, Daniel wasn’t necessarily on good terms with Seongwu after their encounter anyway; their competition-fueled hatred for each other became mutual.

At least Seongwu wasn’t one to spy on his opponent and get him out of the way with ratty methods. No, he was one to work harder to get his name out there, he was one to use his network wisely in order to get himself more gigs, he was one to wriggle his way into the heart of designer’s with his wit. Seongwu was also one who conceive his disdain with polite smiles and subtle body language, being wise enough to hold back his ugly words once he was in the company of trusted ones (read: Minhyun). 

Sometimes, people were not meant to be in friendly terms, yet held an important part in one’s life. If it wasn’t for Daniel being a motivation to Seongwu, simply for the fact that the top model wanted to prove himself as superior, he might had not reached another high success in his career as he did in so little time. 

It wasn’t even anything personal, alright. The world, or specifically the business was just damn unfair and Daniel happened to get the best out of it. Seongwu still didn’t understand fully how the youngling managed to enchant all of Korea’s designers in a heartbeat, and how his fame skyrocketed just over night. There were so many models out there who were better than Daniel, thinner, face structures more defined, skills rawer and intelligently used. Out of all those suited, the broad and average guy had become a top model from one day to the other and if he was smart enough, he could establish himself relatively easily. 

(Judging on how it seemed to be just another mundane task for Daniel to wrap the staff of their photo shoot around his little finger, Seongwu wasn’t worried about the other to build up a network on his own. The thought was a poison spreading inside Seongwu’s mind.)

\---

“We’ve got a call from a Louis Vuitton representative, they want you to run on the catwalk” 

Those exact words were ringing in Seongwu’s ears even minutes after he had left the room with his manager. 

Seongwu got called in to meet the higher-ups of the agency earlier in the morning and neither his manager nor Minhyun knew what the purpose behind it was. There were so many scenarios running through the man’s mind but none of them were about receiving the news of going to Paris Fashion Week.

It was one of the greatest honors for a model to attend Paris Fashion week, and an even greater one to run for a high tier brand. 

All of Seongwu’s hard work was coming to fruition, which didn’t mean he could slack off. Quite the opposite was the case: He had to get into form and meet the standards which were expected from him.

Even though Seongwu was already thin, he had to lose more weight to maintain the measures, which were expected. In general, it wasn’t hard to get rid off a few kilos with his busy schedule, which was leaving no room to live normally. 

His few years in the industry have taught Seongwu to treat food the way he did before venturing in this career path; meaning as an important basic need and not as a burden. Just this once, Seongwu could discipline himself to cut out a few meals here and there, if it meant gaining results quickly.

Starting from the day on he received the news up until Fashion week, Seongwu was being weighed each week as a check-up and assurance that the agency’s top model would represent them well. 

The weight loss became noticeable; cheekbones were standing out more, there was little to no fat on his face, and his jawline appeared sharper than ever. Seongwu knew that he was more desirable once his sharp features were defined and damned he be if all it took was just a bit of starving. He knew his mentality was strong enough to get back on the right track, even now, Seongwu made sure to fit in a snack or small meal whenever his body was asking for nutrients; most models would had purposely ignored it.

Seongwu could withstand those exhausting times with ease - or at least that’s what he thought.

In the last month before Fashion Week, the pressure put on Seongwu grew rapidly. Instead of having a checkup once a week, his manager called him into the company twice. Not only his weight was an issue, but his general appearance: Did he take good care of his skin? Did his hair look healthy, was he well-groomed? Everything got taken into account and Seongwu had to look after himself even more than the usual, even though he’d rather go straight to sleep after his seemingly endless photo shoots.

Three weeks prior the big event, Seongwu stepped onto the scale once again, not even caring enough if something had changed. His results kept being the same, as he was keeping himself in line, considering he had reached the ideal weight. 

However, Seongwu learnt harshly that he should had not been so careless. 

“You gained one and a half kilogram. Are you aware that you’re about to leave for the biggest event a model could attend?” 

Seongwu’s manager didn’t only look pissed, he sounded the same as well. Usually, the middle-aged man was as calm as one could be, but it seemed as if a switch inside his brain was used and changed him from Dr. Jekyll to Mr. Hyde. Seongwu could feel the anger seething from his manager, which suddenly turned to disappointment as the model got dismissed from the other in a condescending manner.

“Kang Daniel is going to run for Louis Vuitton as well. As far as I’m concerned, he takes his job seriously. Do you really want to skip on this opportunity just because you’d rather slack off than work hard?”

At the mention of his rival, Seongwu gripped the doorknob around his hand harder than needed, his knuckles turning white at the immense pressure, and gritted his teeth harshly in order to bite back a bitter comment. He could hear his manager mumbling about ‘being more responsible for the next checkup’ before Seongwu fled out of the room and kept walking and walking, until he was in one of the company’s bathrooms. 

From one moment to the other, Seongwu broke down and slid down the cold wall until he was hitting the hard floor, pulling his knees closer to himself to curl himself inwards, and let out a broken sob he couldn’t even recognize himself. Maybe it was the pressure which had been holding him down for so long, but Seongwu turned into a waterfall of tears as soon as he let himself go. 

He didn’t even know how long he had been crying, but after he had calmed down just slightly, Seongwu’s mind was feeling fuzzy and light-headed and the tightened knot in his chest had disappeared. It took him a few more minutes to gain back his full consciousness and shove the happenings out of his head, store it into an untouched corner and repress the turmoil it had caused inside him.

There was only one mentioned name Seongwu couldn’t get out of his mind: Kang Daniel. How much truth was there to his manager’s words? Did the man only use the other model to pressure Seongwu further or was there more to the story?

Instinctively, Seongwu fished his phone out of his pockets and searched ‘Kang Daniel’ up, setting the filter to recent uploads. 

Seongwu couldn’t even believe his own eyes. 

Instead of the broad guy Seongwu knew, he was staring at a person unrecognizable to him. The weight loss was drastic, even Seongwu could tell just from seeing pictures. Daniel almost resembled a living skeleton; for some reason, it churned up Seongwu’s stomach.

A heavy feeling was being placed on his chest and Seongwu didn’t even understand it himself. Why did he care so much about Daniel’s appearance and furthermore health out of a sudden?

_ It’s because you were in the same position once _ , Seongwu could hear a voice inside his head, which was resembling Minhyun’s nagging voice a bit too much. 

Worries were eating Seongwu up and a sudden wave of unwanted familiarity was crashing upon him; anxiety was engulfing him and all Seongwu knew was that he needed to get out of here. 

Quickly shoving his phone back into his pockets, Seongwu splashed his face with cold water a few times before escaping out of the ever-shrinking bathroom, his whole body trembling from the long forgotten images flashing in front of his eyes, which he tried to blink away with no use. 

It was only once Seongwu found himself in Minhyun’s apartment, tucked away in a blanket on the couch with a cup of tea, and Minhyun’s soothing voice telling him about some drama he had been watching before, did Seongwu manage to calm down from his slight panic attack.

Seongwu was thankful that he had Minhyun on his side, who could provide him support at all times. 

Everyone in a business as cruel as the model branche needed someone to rely on and guide them back on the right path.

Daniel wasn’t an exception to this. He just didn’t have someone who could pick him up and patch him up together again. 

Seongwu had the underlying need to be the one who could help Daniel. 

\---

In the week before Fashion Week, Seongwu happened to meet Daniel. 

He visited his usually attended salon to get his hair and makeup done for the fanmeeting he had later on. It was around nine in the morning and Seongwu would had rather prefered to stay in bed longer, having no more energy to spare for his last schedule before the flight to Paris.

At least he had a few free days for himself before the big event and Seongwu was thanking all heavens that his agency took it into consideration that Seongwu needed rest to get his job done correctly in Paris.

Obviously, Seongwu would use that time as well to practice for the runway, as he didn’t want to make a fool out of himself there. However, catching up on sleep was another priority as well; the endless schedules had taken a toll on him to the point it was making him look unhealthy. 

While Seongwu was thinking about the big show, running through the many scenarios which could happen there, another customer entered the salon and the deep voice from the person was instantly snapping Seongwu out of his thoughts.

Looking up and through the mirror, Seongwu could see Daniel standing right behind him and the sight of him turned Seongwu’s expression into a crestfallen one. 

If the pictures Seongwu had seen a while before were already bad, the real version of Daniel in flesh and skin was even more alarming.  

In fact, all there was to Daniel were skin and bones, which were sticking out prominently, and a sick paleness to finish off the ‘crack model look’. The sight was both sickening and worrying to Seongwu, who was sure that he was looking at a man being at his worst. All because of one highly praised event.

Desperately, Seongwu was trying to find Daniel’s gaze, yet the other was averting his attention from the model in mask. As a matter of fact, Seongwu couldn’t even blame the other model for his behavior; it was Seongwu himself who started this rivalry between them and Daniel was only acting towards the other model how Seongwu had done it to the younger man a few months ago.

Besides, how should had Daniel known about Seongwu’s sudden shift considering his take on their relationship? Seongwu himself didn’t understand his feelings, which were a mess, but he knew that he had to reach out to Daniel despite his own inner turmoil. Despite the petty side, which was seething and repelling Daniel, shamelessly begging Seongwu’s rational side to turn a blind eye towards his ‘enemy’.

Seongwu’s inner conflict got thrown out the window while he watched Daniel take his shirt off to change into another he needed for a public appearance later; the sight Seongwu got to see wasn’t one to be proud of, but to pity instead. 

Without thinking about it, Seongwu got up from his seat once he was allowed to, and after rummaging through his bag to find the sandwich he had bought for himself before coming to the salon, Seongwu walked up to Daniel who was getting his makeup done as well. Seongwu completely tuned out the threatening stares he received from Daniel, though they managed to make his voice waver as he spoke up to the other man.

“Here, you should eat something. Your stomach is asking a bit too loudly for some food”

For a few moments, the two models were staring at each other wordlessly and without traces of any expression in their faces, before Daniel first broke the silence with a dismissive scoff.

“Keep it to yourself. I have a diet to follow, shouldn’t you know that better?”

  
Daniel’s tone was accusing and harsh, which felt like a pang of guilt inside Seongwu’s chest. For now, Seongwu had to push his personal problems aside and try to talk Daniel into accepting the offer of food, as the older man could see  _ and  _ hear how much the other model needed it.

However, before Seongwu could had said more, Daniel held up his hand with his palm facing Seongwu and blocked out anymore attempts from Seongwu.

“If you’re trying to sabotage me, you can forget it right away. I am  _ fine _ , so just  _ go away _ .”

Heaving a sigh, Seongwu knew it was pointless to talk any sense into the other man. Even leaving out the fact that they were sworn rivals, Seongwu had been the same as Daniel once in his desperate rookie days. He had seen others being at this breaking point, most of them still struggling nowadays. 

Seongwu had seen overly ambitious models break and fall apart into pieces, unable to pick themselves up and finding comfort in their own demons instead. The sick pressure to be  _ perfect  _ was eating up most innocent young people in the industry, who were like a deer caught in the headlight upon experiencing how the business really worked; only those strong enough to withstand the deadly temptations could survive. 

In most cases, those models on the edge needed a backstop, but the industry was filled with bad apples. No one gave a damn about those lost souls, instead driving them further into their sick obsession of perfection, whether it was from those pulling the strings or those blinded models competing each other. 

Realization was finally dawning upon Seongwu. As much as he had prided himself in being better than the dirty lows of the industry, he still ran himself blindly into an unneeded rivalry out of jealousy. 

Considering that he was the one starting the rivalry, Seongwu had to be the one breaking it. 

For the sake of saving a model from jumping right into the lowest lows one could put themselves through, Seongwu would do everything in his power to help Daniel through his hard times. 

Paris Fashion Week was both a blessing and a curse.

\---

In no time, Paris Fashion Week came around and Seongwu hadn’t ever been as busy yet delighted about it.   
The flight to Paris was the only opportunity he had to catch a few hours of sleep; once he’s landed in the capital of France, it was all about rushing to one location to the next. Along with his run for Louis Vuitton, he had a few photoshoots and practice runs to ensure everything would be as expected.

However, on the big day, time seemed to have stopped once Seongwu was backstage of the show, his makeup and hair having been done and the outfit clinging tightly to his already thin body. Even though other models and a few staff were running around frantically, trying to get the last touches done, Seongwu blended out the buzz around him and slipped into a peaceful state of mind, which was needed before such a big show. 

In the corner of his eyes, Seongwu could see Daniel, who was jittering around despite trying to build up a cold and calm exterior. Seongwu was able to see past the facade and contemplated talking to Daniel, who seemed to have loosened up just a bit around Seongwu in the time they were cramped in the backstage area.

“You’ll get early age wrinkles if you keep on frowning like that,” Seongwu joked around and patted Daniel on his shoulder, feeling the tenseness from the other under his fingertips. Forcefully, Daniel was pushing Seongwu’s hand off, though he muttered an apology for his brash reaction right afterwards.

Instead of going with his witty ways, Seongwu decided to give Daniel a small but encouraging smile, wishing him the best of luck for his first big run, and surprisingly, Daniel gave the same back to Seongwu.

The tense atmosphere, which was surrounding them, seemed to slowly disappear into thin air, and it took a weight off Seongwu’s mind, who had been stressing out about Daniel considerably a bit too much. 

However, there wasn’t much more time to somewhat mend their strained relationship, as the models were all called up to line up for their turns, and Daniel was one of those at the end of the show, while Seongwu was more in the middle of the list. 

One by one, the models walked down the runway professionally, the flashlight of the many cameras giving them a feeling of fame; even Seongwu was feeling as if he was a rookie shooting up to be a star in the world of models. His walk was flawless and his professional aura from years of experience was impressing to the audience, who soon turned their attention to the newest upcoming topmodel, Kang Daniel.

Instead of being engulfed by jealousy, Seongwu was strangely happy for Daniel. They both had their fair share of spotlight and Daniel was worthy of the attention he got as much as Seongwu was. 

Seongwu was finding peace with his harbored envy and could let go off it. His only worry was if Daniel could do the same. It was a topic he could deal with later.

Except, the whole confrontation came crashing in much sooner than expected, in a way Seongwu would had never imagined.

After the whole show was over, the models were ushered to the backstage area again to change into their own outfits and make room for the next batch of models, who were running for another brand.

While Seongwu was changing his shirt, he suddenly heard a loud thump near him, and turned to the direction of the noise to see Daniel laying on the floor weakly.

As a surge of adrenaline was rushing through Seongwu’s body out of shock and fear, he stumbled quickly next to Daniel, turning him to a stable side position before shouting into the room if anyone could provide them with anything sugary. Seongwu’s disturbance was causing the other models to throw him a few dirty looks, but no one cared enough to help them, even though someone had just collapsed in front of their eyes. It was almost pathetically funny just how desensitized the industry could make them, but Seongwu had no time to muse about such small (and terrible) matters.

In his arms, Seongwu could feel Daniel cramp for a few seconds before his body was going limp again, and only the beating of his pulse was calming Seongwu down somewhat. Luckily for them, Daniel’s manager pushed through the crowd with a coke in his hand, which he pursued Daniel to drink as the model slowly came back to his senses. 

All the while, Seongwu was holding Daniel on his lap, keeping him in a stable position until he was functioning enough to be able to stand up without collapsing again. Distress was written all over Daniel’s face, mixed with embarrassment and anger (at himself?); Seongwu had to ensure Daniel that it wasn’t his fault that his body was shutting down.

“Can I follow along, just in case?”, Seongwu asked once his manager came around to pick him up, giving his model a look of disbelief. 

As there was no signs of protest from anyone at Seongwu’s request, the latter helped supporting Daniel’s weight on one side, while the other’s manager was on the other side, and together they brought Daniel to the car through the backdoor. It would had made a strange picture to the press if they found the model in his current state and everyone involved wanted to protect Daniel’s image.

Seongwu was seated next to Daniel in the backseat on the way back to Daniel’s hotel; the car ride was quiet, though Daniel’s manager was talking about how the model didn’t need to attend the scheduled dinner tonight. He was also making sure if Daniel needed to visit a hospital, which the younger man frantically waved off.  _ My nerves were probably just acting up,  _ Daniel trivialised his collapse as if it was just a daily occurrence. The thought of it sent a shiver down Seongwu’s spine. 

Once they arrived at the hotel, Seongwu helped Daniel up to his room and bashfully asked the other man if he could stay around for a while.  _ Just to make sure. _

Surprisingly, Daniel held the door open for Seongwu, who timidly went inside and stood around awkwardly. 

Meanwhile, Daniel was moving around to change into comfortable clothes, and the sight of Daniel’s body was triggering Seongwu again, though he could swallow the panic down this time around.

“I’m really sorry,” Seongwu suddenly spoke up, pushing his pride aside and suffocating the tiny voice in his head, which was riling Seongwu up to use Daniel in his vulnerable moment for his own cause.

“I’m sorry for having been a jerk to you even though we hadn’t even known each other yet. You didn’t deserve this…”   


The words of apology were finally out and it was all up to Daniel if he accepted them. 

Seongwu was experiencing a déjà-vu moment; like at the salon, they were both having a stare down and it was scaring him. What if Daniel would push him away once again? For some reason, Seongwu was desperate to fix their strained relationship, and end this rivalry for a new beginning.

Judging on Daniel’s lack of reaction, the other seemed to hold a grudge against Seongwu, and the other was already accepting the cold reality that Daniel wasn’t letting go off it so easily. 

“I’d like to get to know the better side of you, Ong Seongwu,” Daniel said softly just as Seongwu was turning around to leave, as he couldn’t withstand the awkward atmosphere and unspoken rejection anymore. 

Wiping his face to Daniel’s direction, Seongwu was gaping at the other, who gave Seongwu a weak bunny smile. It caused Seongwu’s heart to skip a beat and he had to swallow down the lump in his throat, which was suddenly forming after seeing the softened expression on Daniel’s face. 

  
“Yeah, that sounds nice. A new start it is then?”

Nodding his head reassuringly, Daniel’s smile turned even brighter and blinded Seongwu, who could feel a slight blush creeping up on his cheeks. He strongly hoped that Daniel was still out of it enough to not notice Seongwu’s sudden subdued behavior; in order to get his mind off Daniel’s sudden warm approach, Seongwu called the room service for some food and water, knowing very well that Daniel needed it.

While they were waiting for the order to arrive, Seongwu was more or less forcing Daniel into bed before he helped him cleaning off the makeup, wiping it off with hygienic tissues; the awkwardness from being so close suddenly was understandable, but easy to ignore. All Seongwu wanted in that moment was to show Daniel that he was serious about his apology and offer and he’d go the extra mile to show it to him.

During the meal afterwards, which the models shared, it was mostly quiet, though the silence slowly turned into a comfortable one. Seongwu was keeping a hawkeye on Daniel’s portion, making sure that he’d eat a lot and even feeding the younger man some bites of his own food. 

Even though Daniel was trying to prolong his chewing to tick off Seongwu and show the latter that he really couldn’t eat anymore, Seongwu was staying patient with Daniel (albeit it wasn’t his best virtue). Seongwu wasn’t going to let Daniel off the hook so easily, not until his condition got better. 

In that time of watching over Daniel, Seongwu learnt to appreciate Daniel’s company. Interestingly, he was feeling at ease being around the younger man, as much ease as there could be considering that Seongwu was all tense while they had dinner together. 

Seongwu was staying around until Daniel fell asleep, which happened pretty quickly due to his weakened state; however, Seongwu couldn’t allow the other to get rid off his digesting meal, which might had happened if he left earlier. 

Before Seongwu went back to his own hotel, he left behind a note with his phone number with high hopes, along with a reminder for Daniel to grab himself some breakfast the next morning. Even though Seongwu knew it would be useless, it was the first step into the right direction and gave Daniel the confirmation that he had someone on his side, who would look out for him and help him overcome any issues he had.

Now all Seongwu could hope for was that Daniel would reach out as well and accept the helping hand offered.

\---

After Paris Fashion Week had ended, Daniel first texted Seongwu. 

It was a simple message thanking Seongwu for his help and attentiveness back in Paris. Seongwu however assured Daniel that it was nothing to stress about, it was only human to intervene in such a situation. Daniel however insisted that he needed to thank the other nonetheless and Seongwu eventually had to give in.

After that, their conversations turned into the usual small talk one would have during their first meeting. Considering that their first meeting turned out anything else but good, the two men had to catch up on quite a lot; Seongwu enjoyed every second of talking to Daniel, though. 

Their texting soon turned into phone calls and meet-ups, especially for lunch or dinner. 

At first, Daniel was reluctant to meet up with Seongwu at restaurants, but with Seongwu’s gentle care, Daniel learnt to appreciate his meals once again. Seongwu was making sure that he wasn’t pushing past Daniel boundaries, but gave him gentle taps into the right direction. It was a long way for both of them, especially for Daniel, but all the time spent together was helpful for their relationship. 

Hanging out with Daniel became a natural thing, even an occurrence wanted by Seongwu, and the latter learnt about so many aspects of the other. His friendliness, his easygoing nature, his protectiveness; how easy it was to please Daniel, to get out a reaction from him (usually a smile or giggle or laugh). Seongwu learnt about Daniel’s worries and fears, his ambitions and dreams, his hobbies and passions. 

Just as much as Daniel opened up to Seongwu, so did Seongwu open up to Daniel. Soon there was no secret kept from the other and neither of them rejected the sudden intimate turn in their relationship.

Like their relationship was blooming, so was Daniel as well. Over time, he turned from the living corpse to the old Daniel, which Seongwu knew; normally skinny, well-rounded cheeks, no more heavy eye bags hanging deep, and the sick paleness having changed to a lively color. 

Maybe, it wasn’t only Daniel who had changed. 

Minhyun had told Seongwu one day over their scarce brunch that the other was happier nowadays, more lively and optimistic. His approach towards his career had changed, he was more approachable and seemed to have gotten back his old ambitions. Seongwu had waved it all off, but they both knew inside that Minhyun was right. Minhyun was always right, what could Seongwu say. 

However, Seongwu forgot about their little conversation until Daniel texted him one day to get a copy of the latest Vogue issue without telling Seongwu the reason behind it.

Curiosity was killing Seongwu, who went out of his way to get himself a copy of the magazine before he headed off to his home, as he couldn’t wait any longer to find out what’s the fuss Daniel was making about.

Once Seongwu was settled on his couch inside his apartment, he looked through the magazine until he landed on the page with Daniel’s magazine, which was talking about his sudden but steady rise as a top model and his life in general. 

Daniel's answers were earnest, Seongwu could tell. He had soon found out that Daniel was a person, who wore his heart on his sleeve, despite being a public figure. It was a pleasant experience to read through the interview and being able to imagine Daniel telling him each and every word as well; the more Seongwu thought about it, the more he could recall those answers told to Seongwu in different ways. Daniel had given Seongwu access to his soul, to the depths of his personality, and it put a heavy feeling on top of Seongwu’s chest, who welcomed it with open arms.

The last question of the interview caused Seongwu’s breath to hitch and shut his mind down instantly, the magazine dropping out of Seongwu’s hands.

“Who is your rolemodel?,” the question stated and the answer to it was unexpected to Seongwu.

“Ong Seongwu! I’ve been looking up to him for a while now, you could say he was the reason I even tried out to be a model. To me, it’s a honor to be allowed to know him. (laughs)    
He has given me the best advice, he’s always looking after me. I couldn’t imagine having anyone other than Seongwu on my side.” 

So after all, Minhyun was right. Or maybe Seongwu was interpreting too much into the answer, but if he ignored his gut instinct any longer, it might kill him slowly.

With shaky fingers, Seongwu picked up his phone to dial Daniel’s number, who was on the line after two rings.   
“Did you mean this seriously what you said in the interview?,” Seongwu barged into the conversation right away without even giving Daniel a chance to say ‘hello’. His mouth was running while his brain couldn’t catch up, and maybe it was out of fear, but Seongwu just couldn’t stop his words escaping his mouth.

“If you don’t, then I’m sorry for turning this friendship awkward between us. I mean, it could very well be the case that I’m just reading too much into those words but-”

“Seongwu,  _ hyung _ , I like you. I like you a lot, more than just a friend.” 

The silence between them was deafening, Seongwu could hear every breath from the other line; no one dared to say anything, considering that Daniel was waiting for an answer while Seongwu was still processing the information given.

Daniel was about to end the phone call out of shame and guilt, but Seongwu stopped him by asking him to come over. 

“I think we both deserve a confession which isn’t given over the phone or a magazine, don’t you think so,  _ Niel-ah _ ?” 

In the end, their confessions were hushed out by their lips, but neither of them needed another verbal confirmation if their bodies were talking for them already.

\---

Cameras flashing, the sound of the audience clapping resonating through the hall. 

Both Seongwu and Daniel were running for the same brand again, making their way backstage again to wrap up the fashion show.

A year had passed and they found themselves at the same place again as the year before.

This time around, it wasn’t as rivals. 

Seongwu could feel a large hand wrapping around his own once they were hidden from the many eyes of strangers, his skin tingling at the warmth spreading from Daniel. 

Looking up into Daniel’s sparkling eyes, Seongwu found himself smiling brightly at the other man, showing all teeth and gums. 

No, instead of being rivals, they shared the same path as lovers; none of them could had wanted it otherwise.

**Author's Note:**

> teaser for the tuesday story:
> 
> Seongwoo's behavior disgusted Daniel. The alpha knew what kind of effect he had on other people and used the chance to bed them all. 
> 
> When he sat down opposite of him, the omega felt all his appetite disappearing. Probably as fast as Seongwoo was able to get rid of the girl's underwear. 
> 
> “Another victim, huh?” he couldn't help saying. 
> 
> Irritation flashed in the alpha's eyes as he looked at Daniel. 
> 
> “Why are you always commenting on the people I fuck?” he asked and leaned forward, way too close to Daniel. He was already able to smell the unfortunately familiar scent of apple and honey, mixed with some kind of flowery smell from the girl. “Jealous that you are not one of them?”
> 
> He made some gagging noises and grimaced before pushing Seongwoo's laughing face away from him.
> 
> “As if.”


End file.
